1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an in mold decoration process and, in particular, to a speed improvement to the process, with the process offering an improved accuracy and registration of decorations.
2. Description of the Related Art
IMD (In Mold Decoration) is a method that has been widely used to decorate a part with colors and patterns. This technology is generally classified in three techniques, namely IMF (In Mold Forming), IML (In Mold Label) and IMR (In Mold Rolling). The IMF or IML process includes decorating a film with colors and designs and placing the film into an injection mold tool so that the film undergoes an injection molding procedure. After the injection molding procedure, the film is bounded to a plastic surface. The process enables a plastic part to be quickly decorated and reduces the cost of manufacture. In the IMF and IML processes, the film is reserved and utilized to serve as a protective layer on the surface of the plastic part. In the IMR process, colors and designs are printed directly to a part that is to be decorated.
In the conventional IMF process, the film is inserted into a forming mold tool and undergoes a high-pressure forming procedure to form a shape which fits to the profile of the forming mold tool. Further, the film is manually removed from the forming mold tool and is manually inserted into an injection mold tool. Further, the film is injected with molten resin, and the molten resin is solidified and bound to the film. The conventional IMF process requires a person to remove the film from the forming mold tool and insert it into the injection mold tool. However, it is time-consuming and non-economical. Further, once the film is removed from the forming mold tool, it is impossible to precisely insert the film into the injection mold tool without encountering positioning error. Further, since the film is liable to deformation due to a temperature variation, it is difficult to insert into the injection mold tool. In this regard, the molten resin is not injected accurately on a predetermined position of the film, resulting in a low yield rate. The production time of the process is not effectively reduced. It is noted that a notebook case has a gross profit margin of 3%˜5%, and any defect would incur an increase in manufacturing cost.
The present invention is, therefore, intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.